The trumpets announce the arrival of the bull. Three thousand people hush in anticipation. The cavaleiros communicate with the bandarilheiros through their eyes and Portuguese shouts as a way to confront a half ton bull. Hemingway said the more confident a bull is the less he bluffs. The display of courage, confidence, and heritage has drawn me to the bullfighters and bulls as a way to understand the fabric that holds a community together.
From 1941-1981 nearly 40,000 people from the bullfight-loving island of Terceira in the Portuguese Azores migrated to the Central Valley. Today there are more people of Azorean descent in California's San Joaquin valley than there are on the islands. Through multiple generations many of the original customs have not only survived but thrived. The festa, or celebration culminating in the bullfight, have been held in the Azores for centuries are held here as if a day hasn't passed.
